Follow these instructions for dog abscess home treatment:
How to treat a dog abscess at home
I had my vet’s blessing to home-treat Hudson, even though his abscess was so huge. Remember that even if you just call your vet or send him pictures, you’ll still need your vet to prescribe a course of antibiotics, which must be finished. (And note that you should always check with your vet first rather than launching into any kind of home medical treatment.)
Home treatment for a dog abscess is likely okay if you are obsessive about making everything sanitary and sterile. Make sure you remember to flush the abscess and apply a wound cream several times a day. Also note that you are not likely to get sick treating the abscess because of the way it looks, feels and smells. Really! We’re talkin’ Essence de Dog Pus here! Often, skin and fur will fall off at first, too, so be sure you can handle that.
Your dog can be easily treated by you if, for example, he’ll let you flush the abscess with saline and stick your finger waaaaaay up into the pocket of the abscess to apply ointment.
Does a dog abscess need to be treated by a vet or other professional?
Talk to your vet to determine whether the abscess can be drained and treated at home or needs to be done at the office. The vet will probably still need to see your dog’s abscess and do some tests so he knows what antibiotics to give your dog and discover what is causing the infection. Your dog will need professional treatment if you are not able to be very diligent about keeping things sterile and sanitary, or if it is very large and you cannot drain the abscess on your own. In this case, your vet will make an incision. Surgery may be necessary.
Even if your vet says you can treat the dog abscess at home, it’s best to have your veterinarian show you how to treat it first before you do it at home by yourself. When your dog has a visible skin abscess, it’s always good to have a complete blood test run. Sometimes samples of the pus will need to be taken to evaluate its cause. Internal abscesses must only be treated by your doctor.
Abscess and Bite Wounds: Treating At Home
First, it might be helpful to understand what exactly an abscess is– and how does your dog get one? An abscess forms when an irritation or skin abrasion worsens, or it becomes infected– and can be found on any part of your dogâs body. When your dog sustains an injury, there is a high probability that it will heal by itself. However, sometimes when cuts and scrapes are more serious than they look– or have been allowed to fester unnoticed– it can lead to the formation of of an infection. The bacteria that cause the infection will continue to inflame the skin around the wound– eventually leading to a great deal of pain for your dog.
Your dogâs immune system will attempt to fight off the growing infection– and typically will cause a growth in the skin that fills with this mix of bacteria and white blood cells called pus. It manifests under your dogâs skin– and depending on the size and severity– can be painful and uncomfortable for your pup. This type of infection should be treated immediately before it worsens or spreads to other areas of your dog.
Since dogs are always out exploring the outside world, sometimes they can get into trouble. When they sustain a wound, these cuts can generally be put into three categories:
When a dog sustains any of these wounds, there is always the chance for infection. If this does occur, the bacteria will begin to break down the skin surrounding the cut– causing it to become inflamed. When pus accumulates, this leads to the formation of an abscess.
In some cases, dogs can develop an internal abscess– most commonly in their mouth, teeth, liver and brain. These are extremely difficult to diagnose since they are the result of a localized internal infection.
In addition to an inflamed area of skin, you should also be aware of any hair loss or obvious pain symptoms in your dog. It is common for dogs to develop a fever while they are fighting an infection, and they will mostly likely become lethargic and have less energy.
If you notice your dog attempting to bite or lick an area of skin profusely, itâs always a good idea to do a double check of their skin to make sure there are no cuts or abrasions.
Depending on the severity of the wound– and if it was caught in time– you may be able to do your own dog abscess wound care at home. It is always advised that you consult with your vet first, however, and even ask them to show you how to treat an abscess so you can do so at home– should you need to in the future. If youâre going to treat your dogâs wound at home, make sure you are aware of the supplies youâll need, including:
When you have all of your supplies, now it is time to tackle the abscess. If it has not started to leak already, you can apply a warm compress to cause it to break. Be prepared to catch the discharge with another sterile towel, until it has all come out. Do not cover the wound, instead allow it to heal without applying a bandage. Most vets recommend cleaning the wound twice per day in this manner– and to be patient. It takes a long time for a dog abscess to heal.
If you are more comfortable bringing your dog to the vet– or the above method did not lead to any kind of improvement– do so. It is never the wrong call to enlist the help of a professional. Whether you treat your dogâs wound or a vet does– you will need to administer antibiotics to get rid of the infection. Make sure to follow the vetâs instructions and administer them to your dog until the bottle is used up.
If your dogâs abscess is particularly severe, it may be required to undergo surgery to have it removed. If the abscess happens to manifest in a tooth– it will require that the tooth is removed as well. Typically your vet will do an examination of the problem, and may order additional lab tests to be certain there is no sign of the abscess spreading internally. This will also confirm the type of bacteria that has caused this particular abscess wound. If there is a risk that the infection could spread to the blood– blood will need to be drawn and taken to the lab.
Abscesses are removed surgically by opening the wound and allowing it to drain. The wound will then be thoroughly cleaned and either bandaged or a wound ointment will be applied. Either way, this should help get your dog out of the most dangerous part of the bacterial infection. Depending on the size, location, and level of infection– you and your vet can work together to get your dog on the path to healing in no time.
After you and you vet have treated the abscess wound, your pup is going to need a lot of time to heal. Youâll need to keep a close eye on the wound, and continue to treat it by cleaning it and giving the prescribed medication to your dog. During this time, your dog might have to wear a cone to prevent them from biting or licking their open wound as it heals. It is also helpful to keep them as comfortable as possible, and to make sure they are eating and hydrating appropriately. Sometimes vets will recommend that you limit their activity and allow the wound time to heal.
Eventually the bacterial infection will be killed off with the antibiotics and the skin around the wound will begin to heal. This is all part of the healing process– the skin will repair itself and your pupâs fur will begin to grow back as well. There may even be scab formation as well– which is all a normal and means the wound is starting to heal. This scab may give way to a scar– but this may even disappear with time. Youâll notice that their energy level has increased, and they may start to display some of their old behavioral traits. This is a great sign and it means that the abscess is on the mend, and they will back to their old selves in no time.
If your dog develops a skin abscess, you may be able to treat them at home– just make sure to use sterile equipment and to be patient. If your dogâs wound is particularly serious, it is better to visit your vet instead. Either way, your pup will thank you for your quick thinking and theyâll be on the road to recovery sooner rather than later. Questions? Interested in being featured on this blog?Â